To know others is wisdom, to know yourself is enlightenment

Tag Archives: laughter

Just the other day I was standing on the patio waiting for a client when the garden service guy from the house across the road opened their garden gate only to unleash a very excited and enthusiastic Basset Hound. Yep – out she ran, ears flapping, totally in her element with her new found freedom. The garden guy tried desperately to get her back inside, but she wouldnt have any of it. It was quite a sight!So while I was watching the struggle unfold across the road, and literally holding my sides laughing, I realised that Basset Hounds must be my all-time favourite animal! The pure contradiction between the face and that enthusiastically wagging tail just make me smile.

It was shortly after this incident, when hubby and I were in the midlands that I came across a little blue wooden tortoise with one of those bobbing heads at a local craft shop. Buying it, I stuck it on my dash board and spent the next hour or so continuously giggling at the smooth “everything-is-gonna-be-alright-mahn” bobbing of the tortoise’s head! Yep, I figured this would be the best “Calmette / Rescue” remedy for a bad day – just jump in the car, put on a good tune and watch that tortoise bob his head!

And thus my list of “top 5 things that make me happy” was born!

Along with the Basset Hound (I am still to acquire one of my very own instead of stealing glimpses of the cutie across the road) and the tortoise (which still bobs at me every day), I also have a ring tone that makes me giggle everytime I hear it (despite the blank stares I get when I, full of pride for my new found ring tone, show it to friends and family – they just dont get it.) To that list I have also added a favourite song and am still in search of my number 5.

The idea has been so infectious that my hubby has painted the patio blue and claimed the space was now in his “top 5 things that make me happy” list! He then acquired a “mario brothers” ring tone and added that to the list too. Let me just add that we are both humming the mario brothers soundtrack for the entire day after his phone rings! All this got me thinking that it would be a marvelous way of staying positive. I mean why not? Why not surround yourself with things that make you happy, things that make you giggle (even if no one else gets the joke)? In fact, the mere task of assembling the “top 5” list has been a fun adventure and I reckon it could do with a re-evaluation every 6 months or so – well at least this way you would be forced to find new things that bring you joy!

So thats message of the day, friends – start assembling your “top 5 things that make me happy” list and fill your days with a giggle here, and a happy thought there. Its a great way to keep you smiling even when you feel that life is getting in the way! Go on, you deserve it!